Earth Day 2003 - Reducing Pesticide & Herbicide Use

Region 8 Library Pages

Technical Library - Environmental information Center

Honor the Earth with One Small Change

Reducing Pesticide & Herbicide Use

The Environmental Information Service Center (EISC) has received many phone calls and e-mails from people who are concerned about the environment, but they believe that any individual actions they take will not be make much of a difference. In response to these concerns, EISC has developed four fact sheets that outline small steps an individual can take to help improve the environment.

(1) Reducing air emissions;
(2) Reducing pesticide and herbicide use;
(3) Reducing solid and hazardous waste; and
(4) Protecting the water supply

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Concerns about pesticides

Laboratory studies show that pesticides can cause health problems, such as birth defects, nerve damage, and cancer. These effects depend on how toxic the pesticide is, how much is consumed, and over what period of time the exposure occurs ( days, months, years).

Infants and children may be especially sensitive to health risks posed by pesticides for several reasons. For instance, in relation to their body weight, infants and children eat and drink more than adults, possibly increasing their exposure to pesticides in food and water. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency carefully evaluates children's exposure to pesticides in and on the foods they most commonly eat.

Small changes to reduce pesticide and herbicide exposure

In your garden

Instead of using chemical pesticides and herbicides to remove insect pests and weeds, consider the following alternatives:

Use natural predators to get rid of insects. For instance, ladybugs, several bird species and bats all eat insects. County extension services, nurseries or garden associations can offer tips on how to attract these beneficial predators to your garden.
Pull weeds manually.
Mulch the open spaces in your garden to reduce weed growth.
Set realistic goals on weed and insect control for your lawn. A healthy lawn will probably always have some weeds and insect pests. But a healthy lawn will also have beneficial insects that can keep pests under control. To a casual observer, even a lawn with about 15% weeds can look almost weed-free.
Consider using biochemical pesticides such as pheromones and juvenile insect hormones if you must use pesticides to control insects. Pheromones lure pests into a trap. Juvenile insect hormones interfere with an insect's normal growth and reproductive functions.

In your home

Even if you never use pesticides yourself, you can still be exposed to them through food, or through water or air that may have been contaminated with pesticides. Although EPA sets safety standards for the amount of pesticides allowed both in and on foods, you can take extra precautions to reduce the traces of pesticides that you and your family consume in the food you buy.

Some consumers are looking to organically grown and produced foods as a way to reduce exposure to synthetic pesticides. "Organically grown" food is grown and processed using no synthetic fertilizers or pesticides. Many supermarkets now stock organic products for their consumers.
Growing your own food can be an enjoyable activity. If you decide not to use chemical pesticides on your produce, it can be another way to reduce your exposure to these pesticide residues.
Trim the fat from meat and poultry. Residues of some pesticides concentrate in fat. Discard the fats and oils in broths and pan drippings. Remove the skin from fish.
Rinse fruits and vegetables thoroughly with water. Scrub them with a brush and peel them if possible.
Prevent pests from getting established in your home. You can do this by removing the elements they need to survive: Air, moisture, food and shelter.
- Remove the water source: Fix leaky plumbing, and do not let water accumulate in your house (for instance, in trays under houseplants, or in buckets overnight).
- Remove the food source: Store all food in sealed glass or plastic containers. Put food scraps in tightly-covered animal-proof garbage cans, and empty your garbage frequently.
- Remove shelter: Caulk cracks and crevices to control pest access. Install screens on all floor drains, windows, and doors.

Did you decide to make one small change to reduce pesticide and herbicide use? If so, please send us an e-mail describing what small changeyou intend to make: r8eisc@epa.gov. We will send you a response e-mail summarizing the cumulative benefits to the environment from your small change. We will show you how powerful one person can be. Return to Honor the Earth home page.